As a yoga teacher I love creating intricate sequences that involve fun, unique transitions in my class, but I am also a firm believer in teaching the basics, even to the advanced practitioners. Recently I taught one of these classes to a room of about 25 students, most of whom have been practicing for many years. I sometimes hesitate or question teaching this way because I worry they will be bored or annoyed, but I do my best to stick to my gut and teach the way I like to teach instead of allowing my ego to run the show...most of the time! I began the class asking the question, "What would life be like if you moved through each of your daily activities and commitments the same way you approached your yoga practice? What if you brought the same awareness and purpose, how would life start to shift?" The class moved with focus and intention. I lead the students through the postures spending time in the approach, the foundation, the lift up into each pose, and the release out of each pose. It was a hard class, in a heated room, and the energy was full of intensity, dedication, passion, and love. I have no idea if any of the students in that class walked back into the world and applied the same detailed focus to any of their daily actions, but I am clear that for the hour we were together there was integrity and life was full. Your practice on the mat is a reflection of how you live your life, so remember... It’s yoga practice, not yoga perfect.May Challenge Choose a ritual that you will perform with integrity and awareness every day. It can be a meditation practice, brushing your teeth, or your commute to work. See if you can stay present, using breath or other tools to stay in the moment of that ritual. Take the time to reflect, notice if the ritual becomes more enjoyable, perhaps being in the moment of the ritual allowed for new ideas and possibilities to arise, was anything created?Music Inspiration Morning Has Broken by Cat Stevens Rocking Chair by audiafauna Hold Back the River by James Bay

Even in the darkest of times we reach for a glimmer of hope. Whether it is a personal struggle, or concern for someone else's struggle that causes darkness, one must be responsible for their own output, their own energy. The game is life. Yes, it’s a game - choose what and how you want to play, and then go for it. Setting aside the possibility of an afterlife, as far as we know we only have this one opportunity as a human being on this earth, so what do we have to lose? Nothing. And everything. Open your heart to all opportunities, have the courage to say yes, and the awareness to say no. During the harder times, find something that grounds you, guides you and supports you. Maybe it’s a yoga practice, or therapy, a hike, or a vacation. Keep a gratitude journal. Each day write down three things you are grateful for without any judgment or opinion. Or perhaps at the end of each day write down the things you accomplished so that you don’t always focus on the things you didn’t do. Be like the lotus flower that rises and blooms above the murky, muddy waters to reach the light and achieve enlightenment. Be fully grounded in earth, yet aspire towards the divine, whatever that looks like for you. Don’t give up. There are people who love you and care about you, go to them with your concerns, listen to their thoughts, honor that time. This life is sacred, we all matter, each one of us makes an impact. Always read what I offer with a grain of salt - take it or leave it. This month’s blog is close to my heart. Fight for your own happiness, explore the boundaries you’ve created, value the in between moments. Come back to love. It’s present; it’s all around us.

April Challenge: Open Your Heart Sitting tall in a comfortable position, bring your left palm flat to the heart. Lay the right palm on top of the left hand. Feel as though you are holding your own heart in your hands. Breathe right into that sacred space. Spend a few breaths here in this calming, grounding moment. In the next few breaths start to bring a flutter to the fingers like the petals of a flower blowing in the wind of your breath. Do not rush, be patient with yourself, with your heart. Allow the breath to deepen and slowly begin to open the hands into the Lotus Mudra (pictured) in front of the heart.

Imagine your heart in the center of the lotus of your hands. Raise the lotus of your hands up over head as you inhale, and when you exhale open the arms wide and release them down to the sides of your body. Draw the hands back to heart center in Lotus Mudra and repeat at least three times. Set your heart free! ***Added Bonus: As you exhale chant YAM (pronounced YOM) the bija, root sound of the heart chakra. “Imagine the bud of a lotus flower (or a water lily) in your heart. Every time you inhale, the flower opens a bit more - until it finally is completely open and can absorb the full sunlight into itself. It lets itself be filled with light, lightness, warmth, love, desire, and joy.” - Gertrud Hirschi from Mudras: Yoga in your HandsMusic Inspiration (all on Spotify)Sea of Love by Cat Power Help I’m Alive (Acoustic) by Metric Jai Sita Ram by MC Yogi

Now is the time of deep change. We are heading toward spring, heading toward the light at the end of the long, cold, dreary winter. As the snow melts, we are trudging through the mud, both outside as we walk the slushy streets, and internally as we struggle to break free from the grasp of winters heaviness. Like a grass seed waiting to sprout, we must grow up and out of our root, stand tall and ground ourselves as we move into new spaces, new possibilities. In my classes this month I have been focusing on the danda. Danda is the sanskrit word for staff or rod. The danda is the length of the spine, from the sacrum through to the crown of the head. Dandasana, or staff pose is a seated posture with the legs stretched out in front and the upper body sitting up nice and tall. A nice way to practice dandasana is seated against the wall. Chaturanga dandasana, or four limb staff pose, utilizes the danda once again but this time the body is horizontal to the earth with only the toes and hands touching the floor, like the low position of a pushup. The body is one long line from the heels through the crown of the head. To find your expression of these postures imagine a blade of grass sprouting from your sacrum, or pelvic floor, all the way up the length of the spine, back of the neck, through the crown of the head. Like a blade of grass moves with the wind, the spine sways and moves with the breath.March Challenge Finding the Danda in Tadasana, Mountain Pose Standing tall, feel all four corners of the feet grounding down into the mat. Lift up all the toes and see if you can place one toe back down at a time, spreading the toes wide. Lift up through the arches of the feet and feel the muscles in the legs begin to ignite. Picture the blade of grass sprouting from your inner thighs as you draw your leg muscles up and into your center. Allow the fleshy part of your seat to shift down, draw the navel in towards the spine. Continue to lengthen from your sacrum up the spine as you draw the shoulder blades down the back, softly lifting the heart. The crown of the head reaches towards the sky, lengthen the neck, and check to make sure your chin is not jutting forwards. Align the ears over the shoulders. Breathe in through your nose and send the breath all the way down to the souls of your feet, root down into the earth. As you exhale, draw the energy from the souls of the feet up the blade of grass that travels through your center line, reaching towards the sun through the crown of the head.Music Inspiration (all on Spotify) Home by Zero 7 Shanti (Peace Out) by MC Yogi Husks and Shells by Volcano ChoirLinks Dandasana: http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/staff-pose/ Chaturanga Dandasana: http://www.yogajournal.com/video/video/chaturanga/ Tadasana: http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/mountain-pose/

In the past week I got some news that in the grand scheme of things was not a big deal, but in the moment felt like a blow to my ego. I was distraught and frustrated, questioning the choices I have been making and whether or not what I have been doing is enough. What does that even mean, being enough? If we’re constantly attempting to be something that we’re not, when are we living in the moment? When are we authentically happy? When is enough, enough? It is good to have expectations to drive and motivate you, encourage you to grow, expand your mind, and live a large life full of love and possibility. But, if your expectations begin to interfere with the day to day enjoyment of the life you are currently living (not the one you hope to live one day), it will be very hard to move into the new spaces that you hope to create for yourself. So, how do we manage our expectations? Well, yoga is helpful. Creating a simple practice that grounds you and honors the moment can be very powerful. Having friends and family who remind you that you are good enough is helpful. And sometimes, Facebook is helpful. Seriously. I was scrolling through my news feed when an article a friend posted by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, caught my attention. The article is directed towards women, but it is absolutely relevant for men; both for themselves and to support the women they love. Gilbert writes, “Can we draft a joint resolution to drop the crazy-making expectation that we must all be perfect friends and perfect mothers and perfect workers and perfect lovers with perfect bodies who dedicate ourselves to charity and grow our own organic vegetables, at the same time that we run corporations and stand on our heads while playing the guitar with our feet?” Her advice, “Let's just anticipate that we (all of us) will disappoint ourselves somehow. Go ahead and let it happen...just march on.” Read the full article here: http://huff.to/1yra16ZMusical Inspiration (all on Spotify): Follow the Sun by Xavier Rudd Everything by Ben Howard Sri Argala Stotram (Selected Verses)/Show me Love by Krishna Das

Staying healthy during the winter is a hard job in and of itself. You must be sure to wash your hands often, take your vitamins, and dress to protect yourself from the weather. But even if we take all the right steps it is still possible to catch something... So the question is how do way stay in a healthy yoga mind set even if we do catch a winter bug? I am currently recovering from a terrible stomach bug. I noticed something was off while in a yoga class and started to feel dizzy and nauseas. For three days I was mostly bedridden, uncomfortable and frustrated. However, I was able to focus on my breathing which helped to sooth some of my symptoms, and I realized that negativity and anger were only going to keep me ill longer. When negative thoughts would come into mind, I would do my best to remind myself that rest is ok. That my body needs peace. When I had spurts of energy I would take advantage to be productive, but I wouldn't feel bad or make myself wrong if the energy didn't last long. I needed time to heal. Sickness is daunting and immobilizing, but we don't have to let it run our day or our winter. Connect to your yoga mindset, practice self-love, and I believe you will avoid getting sick more often and may possibly heal faster. Be patient with your body. Be kind in your mind. And let your spirit be free to create positive energy around you.February Challenge Practice self love. Choose something healthy that you can do every day that makes you smile and feels good. Maybe it's as simple as taking vitamins every morning, or implementing a home yoga practice. Some holistic practices recommend a shot of apple cider vinegar, I drink mine in warm water every morning. Or try the practice of abhyanga (link below).Musical Inspiration Crazy by Daniela Andrade Castles Made of Sand by Jimi Hendrix Resolution by Matt CorbyLinks http://www.mapi.com/ayurvedic-knowledge/massage/benefits-of-an-ayurvedic-abhyanga-massage.html

This New Years instead of a resolution, create a possibility. Create something that you can live into instead of something that binds you.

Instead of a resolution to work out more or eat healthier, create the possibility of loving your body fully and completely.

Instead of a resolution to make more or save more money, create the possibility of abundance.

Instead of a resolution to manage stress, quit smoking, or drink less alcohol, create the possibility of peace and tranquility.

When we create possibility we provide ourselves with the openness for anything to happen and not the attachment to one outcome or option.

Thank you for an incredible 2014 Everyday Yoga Readers! I am creating the possibility of being open, honest, and loving in 2015.

Om Shanti

"Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace." - Bhagavad GitaJanuary Challenge Write down a stream of consciousness list of things you want. Then read over the list, how can you turn those things into possibilities? Write down the possibility that captures who you will be this year. Sit for 5 minutes breathing in and out through the nose. As you breathe, offer up your possibility to the universe and let go...

Musical Inspiration (all on Spotify): Awake by Tycho All That You Have is Your Soul by Tracy Chapman Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley

In each moment of life we have an opportunity to demonstrate and practice patience. Writing this blog right now I’m finding myself to be struggling with frustration, perfection, and distractions, but I’m choosing to keep sitting at the computer and allow my frustration to run it’s course while I stay committed to the task at hand. I deepen my breathing, bring my awareness to the positive aspects of why I’m writing, and center my focus. My mind wanders here and there, but I do my best to bring it back to the breath.As you make your way through your day begin to notice when you become impatient or when you are being patient. It’s interesting to notice the things that bother us and the things that we allow to breeze on by. For some people waiting for the train can be a huge test of patience, or standing in line at a store. For others, it’s no big deal, what is at the root that causes the difference in attitude? Sometimes the anticipation of an event or activity is what causes impatience. Acknowledge why you may be feeling the way you do, and without making yourself wrong, honor that space by allowing the feeling to pass through your mind and body.This month there will be lots of holiday parties that create opportunities to practice being patient with yourself and others. For example, perhaps you are someone who is always on time, but your friend is always late. While you wait for your friend notice your thought pattern, do your best not to get attached to the anger associated with the most likely thoughts, and instead observe and perhaps bring the focus to how to have a conversation with your friend in a way that works without attitude or making them wrong. Can you create a space of patience for this person?It is hard to develop patience with others without first caring for and being patient with yourself. Give yourself a few extra minutes to wake up in the morning, increase your meditation practice by a few more breaths each day, or make a strong effort to attend that extra yoga class each week. Check in with your thoughts. Are you being kind to yourself? Are you being patient with who you are and what you’re up to? Deepen your breath and bring the focus back to a positive space of love and compassion.December Challenge: Create a mantra. It can be as simple as “I am love” or “I am compassion”. During moments when you notice yourself becoming impatient bring your focus to your mantra. Breathe through the nose, and begin to deepen and lengthen out the breaths. Repeat the mantra quietly out loud or internally to yourself. Give yourself the time and space to shift your perspective and thoughts. Be gentle. Be kind. "We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far." - Swami VivekanandaMusical Inspiration (all on Spotify): I Will - Mozella #34 - Dave Matthews Band Youth - Daughter

Don’t give up. So many of us throw in the towel when we’re almost at the finish line, that voice in our head tells us we can’t or it’s not worth it. I’m telling you, it is. Every breath is worth it. In my classes I teach my students to complete every posture with every breath; whether it’s moving through a vinyasa flow, completing each posture within the flow, or whether it’s holding a balancing pose for one more breath and in that last breath growing taller, stronger. There are two months left in 2014. For many of us there are projects, relationships, and commitments we made to others or ourselves that are incomplete. Being complete is not about whether or not you have succeeded or failed, it’s knowing that you have done all there is to do, taken every action, and in your gut you know that it is complete. You finished strong. Taking the time to complete unfinished things in your life will have you feel fulfilled, confident, and full of love. Don’t leave anything unsaid or undone. Make the uncomfortable, difficult phone calls, have those conversations, be the one who listens. Set aside the hours you need to complete that project. Challenge yourself to take this on without any judgments or opinions, without being attached to whether you are right or wrong, or whether you win or lose. If you take this on and put in the energy to finish strong, you will grow taller, stronger, and your light will burn brighter.November Challenge: Make a list of things that are currently incomplete. Maybe it’s one thing, maybe it’s 10 things - do not judge yourself about how many things are on your list!- Choose one item on the list and commit to completing it.- Set a date that you will have it done by, and then schedule times when you will take actions and work on completing this one thing.- Breathe.- Journal about how it feels to finish this thing strong.- Perfect. Now, pick a second thing… “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside of you that is greater than any obstacle.” - Christian D. LarsonMusical Inspiration (all on Spotify): Hare Krishna - Marion Williams Hey Jude - Wilson PickettEnd of the Affair - Ben Howard

I am planning my wedding. It is one of the most fun and most stressful things I have had the pleasure to do. It is an incredibly important event, and at the same it is just one day in a lifetime that I plan on spending with the love of my life. Finding balance during the planning of this exciting celebration, is a challenge and a wonderful opportunity to bring my yoga practice to each moment. I made a promise to myself at the beginning of the process to look for the light during the stressful moments and to stay present and live fully in each experience. My goal has been to handle the difficult times with grace and love. How does one take this on? Well, nobody's perfect, and there have been some hiccups along the way. You can't please everyone and people's feelings get hurt. However, taking responsibility, having the more difficult conversations from a place of understanding, and practicing patience have been helpful tools. My daily meditation practice has served me greatly. I've had inspired ideas, recognized where I might have been wrong, and found peace during moments when things didn't seem to be falling into place. How you handle one thing in your life is very likely how you handle most things, if not everything. We don't live in a series of events where everything is separate. It's all happening, all at once! Mid-Month Challenge: Choose one area in your life that is incredibly important to you and start to apply tools that will help you shift how you view and deal with that particular area of your life. Then observe how you are in other aspects of your life... You can start with your yoga practice. How you approach your yoga practice is a beautiful mirror for how you live your life. Start simple. As you move through your practice ask yourself the following questions: ●What are the types of thoughts that arise? ●Am I being judgmental of myself or others? ●Are my opinions negative or positive? ●Am I making myself wrong? ●Am I smiling even through the difficult postures? You create your life. Why not create something fun and full of love for yourself and for those in your life?!Musical Inspiration (all on Spotify): An Eagle In Your Mind - Boards of Canada Uncle Mountain - The Fire Theft The Love Club - Lorde

Life is good. No, life is great. And there’s something missing. I feel sluggish, stuck, and uninspired. I coast through my days and things seemingly fall into place just fine. I like the way life is now, and nothing seems to get in my way. There are a lot of wonderful things happening, and yet something is missing. I am in The Comfort Zone. Last week I quit my part time job to focus more time on building my yoga business, attempting to break out of The Comfort Zone and into a space Where the Magic Happens! It took me months to build up the courage to take the risk. I’m nervous because I don’t know what will come next, and I’m excited because I know that I have made space for possibilities to arise and be discovered. And I’ll tell you something; opportunities are already beginning to present themselves. The Comfort Zone can seep from one area into other areas of your life. While I was feeling stuck in my office job, I was also feeling stuck in my yoga practice. I didn’t find that my body was moving in new ways and when I would journal at the end of each practice I had very little to write. I was frustrated, annoyed, and couldn’t seem to put my finger on the source. Let me be clear, nothing is or has been wrong. Nothing is bad or painful, but life is lived when one is living everyday to the fullest, feeling creative, inspired, and not settling for the plain and ordinary. You don’t know when the switch will flick, so don’t give up and don’t let down, keep searching. Last week I had a conversation with a friend about the restaurant she’s developing. She shared her fears about where the next paycheck would come from and that she may have to dig into her savings, but she knows in her heart and her gut that focusing on the restaurant is exactly what she should be doing right now. The conversation tapped into something inside of me. The switch flicked! You may find that you are in The Comfort Zone in an area of your life, perhaps it’s your yoga practice. If this is the case, know that the moment will come that will flick your switch and you will move in that instant to the space where the magic happens. Keep breathing. Keep practicing. Each day, every moment, has the potential to shift your life.October Challenge: A meditation. Set aside 5-10 minutes. Sitting tall, lying down, or in any comfortable position bring your attention and focus to the breath. Inhale and exhale through the nose. On the inhale visualize a beautiful white light traveling on the breath, into your and throughout your body. Allow the light to collect and become powerful and radiant at the heart center. On the exhale, gently release the light back into the universe, allowing your being to connect with everything else. Creating oneness. “Nothing happens until something moves.” - Albert EinsteinMusical Inspiration (all on Spotify): Everlong (Acoustic) - Foo Fighters Dreams So Real - Metric All Night - Kendra Morris